Under Pressure

So, I've just started getting anxiety attacks, and well, they're just awful aren't they? You're already feeling shit, but your body decides to give you one last kick whilst you're down.

According to the HelpGuide.org, anxiety is the body’s natural response to danger, an automatic alarm that goes off when you feel threatened, under pressure, or are facing a stressful situation. Defined by the NHS, an attack is a rush of intense anxiety and physical symptoms. They can be frightening and happen suddenly, often for no clear reason.

February was full on. A very disturbed sleeping pattern, copious university assignments, late nights, a lot of coffee, even more tears, and I can't even remember how many rude customers I encountered at work during the 6 Nations, never mind the male work colleague who aggressively told me to "go fuck myself". I'm well and truly exhausted.

Zzzzz

Amongst all this, I completely forgot to make time for me. Looking back, I wish I had. It would of saved me a trip to the hospital for an ECG. Whilst it's never good to stay stuck in the past, I'm using this post to not only educate myself, but hopefully inform others to always put yourself first, because after all, your health is you wealth.

The stickers which attach to the heart monitor

The ECG machine

The first one happened on Wednesday evening about two weeks ago. Staying up to work late on an article, I eventually closed my laptop with red hot eyes. Stressfully, I wrote in my diary what work there was to do tomorrow. Suddenly a pain like heartburn, but worse, hit me straight in the middle of the chest, and it scared me.

In a twisted fortunate way, I knew what to do because my father has suffered from panic attacks for over a decade. Once I realised I wasn't having a heart attack, I got up, walked around the flat, and busied myself to distract from the pain. Deep breathes to help stop the dizziness, and about 20 minutes later, it was all finished. Exhausted with worry, but wide awake.

It happened again a week later.

Professor Paul Salkovskis, Professor of Clinical Psychology and Applied Science at the University of Bath, said to the NHS that it's "important not to let your fear of the attack control you".

"Tell yourself that the symptoms you're experiencing are caused by anxiety", he continued.

One of my pet hates is doing anything last minute. Personally speaking, it's important to be prepared. I carry a diary, and love nothing better then making plans. I might be borderline OCD about my organisation but I feel like you've got to look forward to things, especially when you've worked hard.

I would definitely say I put myself under unnecessary pressure, but when you put the graft in, you get the results. In hindsight, this crippling pain wouldn't exist if I took a more relaxed approach in my work, but nobody is perfect right?

On friday it all got a bit too much for me again, and I had to leave my class early, because let's be honest, we all have bad days. A reassuring friend reminded me, "It's strong to feel things. People who are weak ignore stuff. You aren't weak."

According to the NHS, anxiety can have both psychological and physical symptoms. The psychological symptoms can be:

feeling worried or uneasy a lot of the time 

having difficulty sleeping, which makes you feel tired 

not being able to concentrate 

being irritable 

being extra alert 

feeling on edge or not being able to relax 

needing frequent reassurance from other people 

feeling tearful 

The physical symptoms of anxiety can include:

a pounding heartbeat 

breathing faster 

palpitations (an irregular heartbeat) 

feeling sick 

chest pains 

headaches 

sweating 

loss of appetite 

feeling faint 

needing the toilet more frequently 

"butterflies" in your tummy

When you’re feeling anxious or stressed, your body releases stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. Whilst feeling under pressure may be unavoidable at times, here are stress buster tips that should help when you're feeling a bit on edge.

You can be your own worst enemy. Take 10 minutes of quiet time for yourself each day. Take a bath, listen to a podcast, draw, knit, or whatever brings you peace.

Meditate! It's also a great way of practicing your breathing exercises when an attack does happen. There's plenty of apps to choose from. The Guardian wrote an article last year about five of the best, check it out for yourself.

Cut out caffeine, even those Jagerbombs. Caffeine effects can last 4-7 hours.

Grab a cup of camomile tea and meet a friend. It's good to talk about how you're feeling to build your emotional strength.

Not getting enough sleep causing a variety of issues, including anxiety. Try and get a regular sleeping pattern. Wind down and switch off your brain before bed. The recommended amount for 18+ is 7-9 hours.

Do some exercise. It helps release tension and improve your mood.